The Four Incarnations of sri Guru Swami Raghavendra Tirthangalu:

The spiritual energy in the land of Bharat is palpable, as saints reside throughout the length and width of the county. The spiritual power acquired by their austerities is utilized for the benefit of mankind.

Shankukarna of Brahma Lok, was born as Prahlad in Krita Yuga. Prahlad was devotion personified. Towards the end of Dwapara Yuga, Prahald was born as Bhalhika Raja, a king. In Kali yuga, he was reborn as saint Vyasarajja.

About four centuries ago, he incarnated himself as Sri Raghavendra - the benevolent Saint of Mantralaya, and entered into the Brindavan alive there. Thus, the Brindavan at Mantralaya is the Moola Brindavan of Sri Raghavendra. Mantralaya is situated on the banks of river Tungabhadra in Andhra Pradesh.

Please refer to the links provided , as this could help you to get an understanding of the time frames and the Yugas http://indiaheritage.org/rendez/article1.htm"
http://indiaheritage.org/rendez/article1.htm/

Shankhukarna

Brahma was assisted in his daily worship of Sri Maha Vishnu by Shankhukarna. Once Shankhukarna was late in getting flowers for worship. An enraged Brahma Cursed him to take birth in bhuloka amidst demons.

Shankhukarna prayed to Vayu Deva, who appeared before him, consoled and blessed him. Vayu Deva said that by divine will, Shankhukarna would take various incarnations in different yugas, to establish morality and righteousness. Shankhhukarna was reassured.

Prahlad

Hiranayakashipu was a powerful demon king in krita yuga. He wanted complete control over the universe. He would not accept the supremacy of Maha Vishnu. He did intense tapasya[penance]to Brahma in order to gain powers and immortality.

The devas were perplexed and requested Brahma to hasten his intervention. Brahma appeared before Hirannyakashipu and asked him to seek a boon. When Hiranyakashipu asked for immortality it was declared impossible by Brahma. Then Hiranyakashipu desired that he be killed neither by man nor by animal, neither weapon nor missile, neither inside nor outside, neither during daytime nor at night, neither by a terrestrial creature nor aquatic creature, neither by devata nnor by gandharva, neither on land nor in the air. The boon was granted. Upon securing this peculiar boon form Brahma, Hiranyakashipu began committing atrocities, and created havoc in the universe.

The devatas appealed to Lord Vishnu for protection form Hiranyakashipu. The Lord desired that Shankhukarna be born as the son of Hiranyakashipu. Thus the great devotee Prahlad was born to Kayadu and Hiranyakashipu.

Answering the prayers of Prahlad, Lord Vishnu appeared as Sri Narasimha from one of the pillars in the court hall of Hiranyakashipu, to protect first Prahalad & his devotees from evil forces.

Lord Narsimha - half man half lion - leapt out of a pillar straight at Hiranyakashipu and killed him, thus ending the evil deeds by the latter. If we surrender to the Lord with total faith and devotion, no force can harm us. This is the lesson learnt from the life and Prahlad.

Bhalhika Raja

Prahlad, in Dwapara Yuga, was reborn as Bhalhika Raja, in the Kuru Dyansty, and the elder bother of Shantnau - the father of Bhishma. Bhalhika had acquired extraordinary strength by the grace of Vayu Deva, and his personality was unique. Due to the cumulative merits acquired in his previous incarnation as Prahlad, Bhalhika lived a luxurious life.

Although Bhalhika was devout and pious, he was compelled to fight on the side of the Kauravas in the Mahabharata war, due to his birth as Shantanu's elder brother.

Bhalhika was aware that victory was reserved for the Pandavas, as Dharma and Sri Krishna were on their side. The purpose of his present incarnation was neither to acquire power, nor to fight for it, He was content to take darshhan of Sri Krishna. Bhalhika yearned to reach the Lotus Feet of the Lord in heaven. He was desirous of ending his life at the hands of Bhimsen, an amsha[incarnation]of Vayu, in the Mahabharata War. His wish was fulfilled, as he died at the hands of Bhima.

Sri Vyasaraja

Prahalad was born in Kali Yuga as Vyasa Theertha, to uphold the Vaishnava Dharma, which he reached to its zenith.

Vyasaraja was the raja guru of King Krishnadevaraya of the Vijayanagar Empire. He prevented the onslaught of enemies over the empire. With his spiritual power, the saint warded off the danger of the evil Kuhu Yoga which afflicted the king, and prevented disaster.

The saint worshipped Lord Venkateshwara of Tirupathi with devotion for 12 years and attained His grace.

Vyasaraja established the Vidya Peeth at Vijayanagar, and was its head for 71 years. Contemporary saints Sri Vadiraja and Sri Vijayeendra and enlightened men Purandara Dasa and Kanaka Dasa sought Sri Vyasaraja's blessings. They benefited form his knowledge of many rare subjects. He encouraged Dasa Sahitya in Karnataka, himself a great poet.

Sri Vyasaraja has authored three important treatises in Dwaita Philosophy entitled "Tharka Thandava", "Nyayamrita", and "Chandrika", besides several others. He installed the idols of Anjaneya at 732 places during his lifetime.
At the age of seven Sri Vyasaraja became a Sanyasi and remained so for 85 years. He attained Mukthi at the age of 92 at Navabrindavan near Hampi, on the 8th March, 1529.

Sri Raghavendra Swami

Prahlad incarnated as the son of Thimanna Bhatta and Gopikamba and was born at Bhuvangiri in Chidambaram Disteict, Tammilnadu. The child was born by the grace of Lord Venkateshwara of Tirupati and thus was named Venkatanatha.

Thimanna Bhhatta suddenly died, leaving Little Venkatanatha in the care of his elder son Gururaj. Venkatnatha's initial education was under the tutelage of his brother-in-law Sri Lakshminarasimhachar, at Madhurai. The young lad was a student par excellence. He was blessed by the Pontiffs Sri Vijayeendra Theertha and Sri Sudhindra Theertha at Kumbhakonam. The boy later became the student of Sri Sudheendra Thirtha.

Venkatanatha was later married to Saraswathi. They suffered due to poverty but Venkatanatha accepted life as God's will. In due course, the couple moved to Sri Sudindra Theertha's Math at Kumbhakonam, where Venkatanatha persued higher studies under his Guru's tutelage.

Due to old age, Sri Sudheendra Thirtha was weary of shouldering the responsibilities connected with the Peetha. Venkatanatha was brilliant and capable, therefore the appropriate person to take charge of the Peetha, the seer felt. Sri Sudheendra Theertha decided to initiate Venkatanatha into Sanyasa at Tanjore and approached the king Raghunatha Bhupal, who offered his palace for the function.

The "Ratnabhiskeka" of Venkatanatha was performed in the royal mantap amidst the chanting of Veda Mantras. Sri Sudheendra Theertha handed the saffron robes to Venkatanathha and consecrated him a monk. After the "Mantropadesha", Venakatanatha was given the monastic name "Sri Raghavendra Theertha". The ancient idols of Moola Rama, Digvijaya Rama and Jayarama with the Vyasamushti, were handed over, coupled with the administration of the Math to Sri Raghavendra Theertha.

Venkatanatha and Saraswathi were living a happy married life. Unable to bear the separation form her husband, Saraswathi committed suicide by jumping into a well. She was liberated form the cycle of births and deaths by Sri Raghavendra Theertha.

Sri Raghavendra Swami was constantly on the move form one place to another, propagating Bhakthi (devotion) and Harisarvothamatwa (Supremacy of the Lord) He stayed in Udupi for more than a year in the Math established by Sri Vijayendra Theertha. While at Udupi, Sri Guru Raghavendra Swami wrote the treatises "Chandrika Prakashika", "Tantra Deepika", "Nyayamukthavali" and "Sudha Parimala", which He dedicated to Udupi Sri Krishna.

Sri Swami during one of his travels came across an illiterate Brahmin boy - Venkanna, grazing cattle. The lad was an orphan suffering at the hands of his maternal uncle. Upon seeing Sri Swamiji, Venkanna ran to him and unburdened his woes to the saint. The compassionate Swami told the lad to think of him while in trouble.

Once Venkanna was forced to read to a message from the Sultan of Bijapur by the officer Siddi Masood Khan. The illiterate Venkanna prayed to Sri Raghavendra Swami. A miracle! The boy began to read! The letter was the promotion order for Siddi Masood Khan as Nawab. Elated the Nawab instantly appointed Venkanna as theh Diwan of Adoni Samsthan.

Nawab Siddi Masood Khan in due course, met Sri Raghavendra Swami at the instance of Diwan Venkanna. The Nawab offered to gift Sri Guru Raghvaendra Swami a few villages. Swamiji declined and asked only for Manchala, a village on the banks of Rivers Tungabhadra. Accordingly, the Nawab officially gifted the village to Sri Raghavendra Swami.

The saint would visit Ganadalam, a place approximately 5 miles in the north of Manchala, on the other side of River Tungabhadra. The place is scattered with rocks and has a natural cave formation. Swamiji would meditate in this cave for days together. His visits to this place before entering the Brindavan became frequent. A natural formation of Panchamukhi Anjaneya has occurred in this cave, on a rock adjacent to Sri Swami's place of meditation. Panchamukhi Anjaneya appeared before Raghavendra Swami and blessed him.

Sri Raghavendra Swami occupied Manchala on an auspicious day. The saint instructed Diwan Venkanna to arrange for a particular spot to be dug. Upon digging, a Bali Peetha was found. Raghavendra Swami asserted that as Prahlad in Krita Yuga, he had performed Yaga at this spot. The characteristic of that particular spot was such that success was certain. Desires would be fulfilled and peace would prevail. The Swami was desirous of having his Brindavan constructed on that holy spot.

The ruling diety of Manchalam Goddess Manchalamma, invited Guru Swami Shri Raghavendraya to establish his ashram and vrindavan at Manchalam.
In his reply Shri Guru Swami Raghavendraya is said to have accepted and expressed his being honoured in being asked to do so.
Then Manchalamma teased him by saying that one he establishes his ashram and his vrindavam , people would forget her and stop worshipping her.
To this Guru Swami Shri Raghavendraya assured her that if anyone visited his vrindavan without first visiting her and offering their prayers to her , he would ignore them. On hearing this, Goddess Manachalmma, was satisfied and blessed him.

Raghavendra Swami propitiated Manchalamma the presiding diety of the village, and invoked her blessings for contructing his Brindavan. According to her wish, the saint got a replica of goat's head erected before his Brinndavan. Sri Swami instructed divan Venkanna to get his Brindavan constructed only out of a particular block of stone.

According to instructions, Venkanna procured the stone block from Madhawaram village. Raghavendra identified this stone block as the one on which Sri Ram had sat for a while and relaxed. Employing expert sculptors, Venkanna got the Brindavan constructed.

At dawn, after worshipping Sri Moola Rama, Manchalamma,Sri Venkateshwara and after blessing all the devotees gathered, Sri Raghavendra entered the Brindavan on Sali Vahana Shaka (1593) 1671 A.D. Virodhi Krita in Shravana Masa during Drishna Paksha on Dwitiya, a Thursday. Shri Guru Raghavendra Swami declared that he would be alive for 700 years in the Brindavan, from the year 1671, which is the day of his taking his seat in the vrindavan, blessing one and all. 340 years have elapsed since Sri Guru Swamy Raghavendra Tirthangalu entered the Brindavan alive.

Miracles continue to occur with devotees at Mantralaya and in their houses in far-off lands.

All he seeks is Total Devotion , Surrender and mediatation of Sri Krishna.

Have Devotion to the Lord, however be free of Blind Faith.

Let Your Devotion be full of Bhakthi and Shraddha.

Manchala once a foresaken village, is today Mantralaya - a self contained town - forever bustling with activity.

HARE SREENIVASA
HARI SARVOTHAMA!!
VAYOO JEVOTHAMA!!
MOOLA RAMO VIJAYATHE!!
GURURAJO VIJAYATHE!!
OM SRI RAGHAVENDRAYA NAMAHA!

Sri Sri Sri Krishna ArpanaMasthu.

ASK AND RECEIVE

“IF THERE IS SOMETHING TO GAIN AND NOTHING TO LOSE BY ASKING, BY ALL MEANS ASK."
W. Clement Stone.

Ananda is eleven years old, and loves music.
He is exceptionally talented on soprano saxophone
and also likes to compose.

One day, maybe he'll play in a famous philharmonic orchestra and eventually become the conductor. Awesome!

For now, Ananda's biggest goal is to earn enough money
to buy a new saxophone and a keyboard to compose on.

When you're eleven it's hard to find a good- paying job,
especially when school takes up most of the week.

Ananda, however, is determined. He really wants the new instruments.
Every Saturday he goes down to the local mall
and stands near the doors of the main entrance.

He sets up a music stand and takes a clarinet from an old case.
In front of him he places a hand-written sign, and then he starts to play.

His sign reads:

MY NAME IS Ananda
I'M ELEVEN YEARS OLD.
I'M EARNING MONEY TO BUY A SOPRANO SAXOPHONE AND A KEYBOARD.
WOULD YOU PLEASE LIKE TO HELP?
THANK YOU VERY MUCH!

Beside the sign is a plastic container and the above personal request's list.

Ananda has Discovered a Magic Formula. It's called Asking.
He's doing what most People Need To Do - He's Taking Action.

As Ananda skillfully plays a selection of well-known tunes the money rolls in.
A dollar from a passing businessman, fifty cents from a young girl, five dollars
from a well-dressed grandmother.
At this rate it won't be long before Ananda's goal becomes a reality.

By using a little creativity and summoning up the courage to ask for help,
he's found a unique way to get what he wants.

With this type of gutsy determination, who would bet on him not achieving his greater musical ambitions?
Not Me, that's for sure.

It's been around for a long, long time, this Gift called Asking.
In fact, one of life's Fundamental Truth's states,

Ask and You shall receive.
Its that Simple! Of course,
Yes it is.

And kids are the masters.

Their formula is usually to Ask until they Get what they Want.

As Adults, We seem to Lose Our Ability to Ask.
We Come up with all sorts of Excuses and Reasons
to Avoid any Possibility of Rejection.

Children are not Programmed like that.
They Really Believe They Can Have Anything they ask for.
Whether it's a fifty-foot swimming pool or a chocolate ice cream cone.

Here's what You Need to Understand;
The World Responds to Those who Ask.

If You are not moving closer to What You Want,
You probably aren't Doing Enough Asking.

Remember the old song;

Ask and You Shall be Given,
Seek and You Shall Recieve,
Knock and Doors Shall Open,
Stretch Out Your Hand and You Shall be Reached.


Fortunately, to create Future Abundance there are many ways to ask.

Here are useful acronyms to remind you about asking:

ATTITUDE SKILLS KNOWLEDGE = A S K

It is Your Attitude with the Skills You Consciosuly Choose
to Employ with the right Knowledge, that Delivers Success.

ALWAYS SEEKING KNOWLEDGE

Majority of the People say Knowledge is Power.
This is far from the truth!

The Correct Usage of Knowledge is Power.

That's something to imprint in Your Brain Forever.

When You Ask, You Can Receive all sorts of information,
ideas, strategies, names of people with influence and,
yes, even money.

There are many good reasons to ask and the rewards are substantial.

BUILDING EXCELLENT RELATIONSHIPS

"SOME PEOPLE ENTER OUR LIVES AND LEAVE ALMOST INSTANTLY.

OTHERS STAY, AND FORGE SUCH AN IMPRESSION ON OUR HEART AND SOUL,
WE ARE CHANGED FOREVER."

Make a Decision Today to Build a Fortress around You.
Select Only the Best People. There are Many to Choose from.

Remember, Life is all about Building and Enjoying Great Relationships.

You deserve Your Fair Share!

It takes Confidence to Assert Yourself and Seek Out Excellent People.

PROSPERITY IN LIFE IS DERIVED MORE FROM WHO YOU KNOW, NOT WHAT YOU KNOW.

SUCCESS & GOALS ARE REACHED QUICKER DEPENDING ON WHO KNOWS YOU,
THAN JUST WHOM YOU KNOW.

Go Ahead and Ask for What You Want,
From Whom You Want and there are 99 % chances that

YOU WILL RECEIVE and if not "Experience is What You Will Get When You Don't Get What You want".

Dealing with Anger
Here is a simple article of mine that shows how we deal with anger .

It also shows how most of the times we unknowingly go through, "contagion".

This is a state wherein we mix our reactions arising out of an incident that disturbs us to an extent that we often allow our rationality to be irrationality.

The simple examples serve as good illustrators and indicate how we often behave.
I have an Aunty,
My aunty loves eating brinjal,
I hate eating brinjal,
So I hate my Aunty.

What I did is I mixed my aunty with brinjal.
I must understand that my aunty is not brinjal. (lol --> Lesson of Learning)

Similarly,
Ganpat is my peon,
Ganpat comes late to office,
I do not like people coming late,
I do not like Ganpat.
I have mixed Ganpat as a person with his -ve quality.

My boss is nagging,
I do not like nagging,
I hate my boss.
I hate all naggers.

Everytime i see a nagger or a person nagging the picture of my nagging boss comes before the eyes of my brain.
Friends, what we do is confuse ourselves and mix people and their -ve qualities.
We must learn to Seperate people from their qualities and love people unconditionally.

Lets work on dealing with the -ve quality.

We need to understand, that by you getting angry, -ve, qualities in aperson may not always improve or a person may not be cured of them.
Instaed by getting angry we are only giving ourselves ulcers.
Why people get angry is because they have high expectations from others.

These could be high standards of performance and when this does not match, they flare up.

Let me ask you one simple question,

By you getting angry, "CAN A DONKEY BECOME A HORSE?"
Its sheer IMPOSSIBLE, that a donkey become a horse, yes, your blood pressure
may rise, and you may develop ulcers in the process.

Although you can not make a Donkey a Horse, but you can always make a Donkey a Better Donkey.

Infact, if you just look at the good and +ve quality of the donkey, and acknowledge it, there are many chances that the donkey could well be a "better donkey".

Lets see how we can manage anger, now: Some tips..... Stop REACTING .....! Instead; PAUSE - THINK & then ACT (PROACTIVE)
Try this out for yourself now and see where you stand.
List down five things which make you angry, be specific, then rank them from 1 to 5, using 1 for the one which angers you most.

Next to each one write down the main reason why it makes
you angry. (People, Situations, Events which we are basically the Trigger)
Finally, write down next to each one what you do when you are angry in such a situation.
Include your physical responses as well as what you do and discuss your list with your partner.
Now find a near and dear one with whom you may sit and work to see if you can think of an alternative assertive response to each situation, or when ever the, Trigger is pulled.. what can you do instead..

Your journey towards a Better You has begun.

May your day be filled with inspiration and passion!

What Do Teachers Make?

What do teachers make?
The dinner guests were sitting around the table discussing life.

One man, a CEO, decided to explain the problem with education.
He argued, 'What's a kid going to learn from someone who decided his/her best option in life was to become a teacher?'

He reminded the other dinner guests what they say about teachers: 'Those who can, do. Those
who can't, teach.'

To stress his point he said to another guest; 'You're a teacher, Vidha. Be honest. What do you make?'
Vicky, who had a reputation for honesty and frankness replied, 'You want to know what I make? (She paused for a second, then, began...).
'Well, I make kids work harder than they ever thought they could.

I make an A grade feel like Bharat Ratna.

I make kids sit through 90 minutes of class time when their parents can't make them sit for 5 without an I Pod, Game Cube or movie rental.

You want to know what I make?' (She paused again and looked at every person at the table).

I make kids wonder.

I make them question.

I make them apologize and mean it.

I make them have respect and take responsibility for their actions.
I teach them to write and then I make them write.

Keyboarding isn't everything.
I make them read, read, read.

I make them show all their work in math. They use their God given brain, not the man-made calculator.
I make my classroom a place where all my students feel safe.

I make my students stand, placing their hand over their heart to say the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag, One Nation Under God, because we live in the Democratic Republic of India.

Finally, I make them understand that if they use the gifts they were given, work hard, and follow their hearts, they can succeed in life. (Vicky, paused one last time and then continued.)

'Then,when people try to judge me by what I make, with me knowing money isn't everything,
I can hold my head up high and pay no attention because they are ignorant....
You want to know what I make.
I MAKE A DIFFERENCE. What do you make Mr. CEO?' His jaw dropped, he went
silent.

The resounding stacatto of silence was then punctured by a huge applause from the audience who rose in unison.

The Future as i Visualize it

The future as i visualize

Telecom:-

Let the nations of the world give up their hold and control on the telecommunications services.

Let this fall under the purview of the global body, the U.N. Let the U.N. allot service providers per nation, per region, per capacity and capability.

Let the UN unilaterally bring in the same levels in the telecommunication filed across nation for each nation.

Let the cost of the same be borne by the nations individually with the people of the world contributing. Let organizations and corporates come forward to take up major portions of the sponsorship or underwriting of the installation costs.

After all they are the ones who benefit the most from spreading their tentacles.

Let the spirit of Competitive Best prevail.

How does this help and in what way to what extent.

Nations across the world will have free, flow of communication facilities for the people living in them. This is more so critical even in today’s times when there are plenty of nations that are still developing or under developed.

Apart from economically speaking , even nations where a free , fair , legit govt of people is absent , it is a necessity for the communications to be free , fair and flowing for people at all times.

Individual whims, fancies and despotic brains will be kept out of the control / regulation factor of telecom services.

Users across nations can experience economical pricing.

Service providers will be able to compete for larger slices or pies of market share.

Competitive prices will also bring in its train competitive services.

This would mean a tremendous improvement in the overall quality of services all-round.

Elimination of wannabe service providers as players.

Creation of more jobs as the market spread will be bigger.

Hopefully this would be small steps of governments and forward thinking people in governance, though ultimately it would be a giant leap for mankind.

SANYASA.
Here is an opportunity to understand the concept of Sanyasa in the modern world.

‘Sanyasa’ is the most revered stage of life in Indian culture and glorified by the Holy Vedas.

In fact there are atleast 16 Upanishads (called Sanyasa Upanishads) that directly speak on sanyasa. In the Indian tradition, renunciation is considered to be the ideal.

Hence heroes in Indian culture are those who have renounced or sacrificed.
The word sanyasa comes from the Sanskrit word 'samnyasa': This is derived from two roots: ‘sam’ meaning complete or total and ‘nyasa’ meaning 'renunciation’.
So a sanyasi is understood as one who has renounced everything i.e. all egocentric actions and turned towards a higher life of austerity and asceticism.

The Holy Geeta defines sanyasa as “kamyanam karmanam nyasam sannyasam kavayo viduh”, meaning, “The Sages understand that Sanyasa is to be ‘the renunciation of desire prompting actions’".
The sanyasi’s resolve is to transcend the rigmarole of fleeting pleasures to achieve a permanent state of unbroken happiness (Godhood). The sanyasi’s oath in the Vedic tradition therefore renounces the pleasures of this world, and even pleasures of the astral world and of the heavens - all the three worlds.
So sanyasis don’t have any possessions and relinquish all material wealth as they have outgrown worldly pleasures out of right thinking. That’s what a Siddharta Gautama did to become a Gautam Buddha and influence millions across the globe.

That’s what a young Shankara did to become the great Acharya Adi Shankara. History tells us that the Vedic Rishis, the Buddha, Acharya Shankara, the exalted Thirthankar Mahaveer championed the path of renunciation over other paths.
But the sanyasa heritage in India has seen both extremes from the most austere to the opulent – from Mahaveer and Ramana Maharishi to the affluent Osho Rajneesh to the present day Baba Ramdev's and the Sri Sri's.

While some sanyasis lived a quiet teaching life in a remote place, others got dynamic in social life. In many ways, the ancient order of sanyasa was influenced by great Gurus, saints who were also reformers.
Swami Krishnananda of the Divine Life Society observes “Swami Vivekananda brought in a new atmosphere into the Sanyasa order by introducing a greater social sense...Monks who were originally spiritually oriented also became socially oriented on account of a need of the times that was felt.”
So what is the role of renunciates in this modern age? Though sanyasis have an educative role and a strict code of conduct, this may depend on their Guru, lineage and also their personal level of spiritual attainment.
But sanyasis in India have played a huge part in social life, when times demanded. A quick review of the Indian spiritual and religious organizations shows that we have had many active monks. It is also interesting, and often neglected, that many of the sanyasis created incredibly large
organizations, with much resources and follower base.
Historically it is well known that a learned Chanakya was responsible for the creation of the mighty Mauryan Empire. Swami Ramdas had Shivaji Maharaj’s patronage. Swami Vivekananda and Shri Aurobindo though they were sanyasis did not always wear orange robe and influenced great thinkers from political circles. Also many illustrious Gurus were renunciates (sanyasis) like Parahamsa Yogananda, Swami Rama, Swami Sahajanand, Swami Shivanand, Swami Niranjananand, Swami Satyanand among others who supported social upliftment.
In the not so distant past India has had larger than life social-reformer-saints like Sree Narayanguru (Kerala), Swami Keshwanand (Rajashtan), Jai Jalaram Bapa (Gujarat), Swami Dayanand Saraswati (Gujarat), Sathya Sai Baba (Andhra Pradesh) among others. In ancient times Gurus like Vashisht, Agastya and Vishwamitra advised the rulers. This heritage shows that
Gurus were not just showing the society the way to God but also got involved in
political and social issues. In fact people who are detached to material things are better able to do good to society.
Now have a momentary pause as to what is the connection between Yoga and life , society, govenance.

The most fundamental text of Yoga is the ‘Hatha-Yoga-Pradipika’, a classic written by Swami Swatmarama in the 5th Century C.E.

This textbook mentions (in Ch-1, v12) that yoga should be practiced in a country where justice is properly administered, where good people live a good life ,where women are honoured and respected for their wishes inside and outside their houses , where love flows freely,where food is not sought as in begged yet can be obtained easily and plentifully, where man smiles as a greeting at another on the street, where music pervades harmonious living, where tempatation of any kind ceases to exist, where thieves , robbers hardly exist and where rule of the law is absence of policemen and policing either lawful, legal or moral, where morals are not the dictates of a handful few who are despotic, driven by a fanatic zealot.

Is India one such country? May be that’s the India the social-reformer-Gurus want!!!

Love in the Time of Cholera, by Gabo.

As its title implies, Love in the Time of Cholera is a creative amalgam of two starkly contrasting elements: the sacredness of love, and love’s embodiment in everyday experience. Ultimately, the transcendental power of love emerges as the beautifully rendered theme of this evocative and paradoxical masterwork.
Throughout his oeuvre, Marquez has displayed courage in his willingness to explore a variegated stylistic repertoire.
While Love in the Time of Cholera has formal similarities to his other great works–One Hundred Years of Solitude and The Autumn of the Patriarch–it avoids relying exclusively on the stunning, hallucinatory quality of the former or the lush density of the latter.
Maintaining a folklore quality and grounded with the feel of everyday gossip, it incorporates images of love that hover between an otherworld beauty and a netherworld terror.
The historical setting of the novel is an “in between” time: from the end of the nineteenth- to the first decades of the twentieth century.
The location is an unnamed Caribbean seaport: one resembling Cartagena. Florentino Ariza–who, with his long frock coat and melancholy air, resembles a “rabbi in disgrace”–is overwhelmed by his love for Fermina Daza, a comely girl whose “doe’s gait” makes her “seem immune to gravity.”
Florentino’s antiquated attire and excessive sentimentality symbolize the romanticism of the last century, which is parodied and caricatured here and extended, like the frock, beyond manageable proportions. Indeed, he cannot even compose a business letter without incorporating lyrical flourishes. Love is his raison d’être, yet he reeks of it rather than shines, following always in its shadow, never seeming to grasp its essential light.
Florentino is placed in a precarious position when Fermina suddenly rejects him (after returning from an exile imposed by her father, who disapproves of Florentino for reasons of class). Her years of travel have so broadened her vision of the world that one quick glance at Florentino is enough to blot out every trace of her former passion and dreamy-eyed innocence. She simply tells him to “forget it,” demands he return her letters and gifts, and promptly decides to forget he ever existed.
Fermina embarks upon “a marriage of convenience” to the esteemed Dr. Juvenal Urbino, who in many ways serves as a counterpoint to Florentino’s overblown romanticism.
After completing a “course of specialized studies in France,” Urbino becomes “known in his county for the drastic new methods he used to ward off the last cholera epidemic suffered by the province.” He founds the Medical Society and organizes the construction of the first aqueduct and the first sewer system. He serves as president of two academies and is conferred with honorary titles from various organizations.
In one of the most powerful passages in the book, he and Fermina fly in the carriage of an “aerostatic balloon that on its inaugural flight carried a letter to San Juan de la Cienaga, long before anyone had thought of airmail as a rational possibility.”
Thus, he personifies a logical, pragmatic approach to life. Therefore it comes as no surprise that, when they marry, they do so in the absence of love. Even after they consummate their marriage, Urbino is “aware that he did not love her,” yet he’s “sure there would be no obstacle to their inventing true love”–like any other rational invention.
Love in the Time of Cholera is an “anatomy” of love. One of its most ingenious portrayals (in an anatomical and a visionary sense) is the growth of love out of the profane environs of “convenience.” All the meaningless details of everyday life shared by two people bound together (all the unpleasant smells, degrading tasks, and dulling routines; all the unspoken bitterness and rancor; all the sullenness and gloom engendered by unlived possibilities) are unmercifully catalogued.
Love’s power to grow in such dark interstices–and to transcend life’s profanity and to remain unscathed–is one of the more skillfully rendered themes of this work.
Just as love may transcend the limits of hyperrationalism, it may also transcend physical passion. Florentino’s nostalgia is eventually transformed into an awareness of the reality of love as it must be lived, in the present. While Dr. Urbino’s studies in France include his tutelage under the “most outstanding epidemiologist of his time,” one “professor Adrien Proust, father of the famous novelist,” Florentino is fated to live in the haze of a Proustian nightmare: one that evokes a bloated nostalgia for Fermina at his every turn.
While much of his time is spent traveling from one to the other of his 622 erotic assignations, through it all he still considers himself a virgin–untouched by anything other than his unrequited love for her.
After waiting half a century for Urbino to die, Florentino ends his self-imposed emotional exile (of fifty-one years, nine months, and four days) of unrequited love. He declares his “vow of eternal fidelity and everlasting love” to Fermina–while she’s attending to her husband’s funeral. Outraged by his poor timing, Fermina forbids him to return. Yet, through a series of letters that are meditative and philosophical rather than flowery and romantic, he persists. And then the final courtship of Love in the Time of Cholera commences.
Culminating in a steamboat voyage up the Magdalena River, the various themes of the novel coalesce into a symbolically complex and emotionally compelling adventure.
Throughout this final chapter, Marquez deftly evokes the higher aspects of love while maintaining a dark earthy humor:
He looked at her and saw her naked to her waist, just as he had imagined her. Her shoulders were wrinkled, her breasts sagged, her ribs were covered by a flabby skin as pale and cold as a frog’s.

On the riverboat, Florentino considers a quote: “Love becomes greater and nobler in calamity.” Later, as they paddle along and pass the sorrowful stretches of denuded forests, the “nauseating stench of corpses floating down the river,” the “bogs of ashes,” and the “vast silence of a ravaged land,” the quote calls into question the survival of higher values in the midst of such decay.
Florentino’s meditations also mark the inception of a new era: one that is as stripped of natural beauty as it is profaned in matters of the soul. Just as mankind was ravaged by the cholera plague, now the first signs of a humanly induced ecological devastation appear. Thus the voyage bears witness to certain historical developments. Along with personal signs of decay that reflect the aging process, we simultaneously witness the aging of Latin America and the world-at-large. The passengers are unnerved by such horrific images and are sadly haunted by all that is forever lost:
the alligators ate the last butterfly and the maternal manatees were gone, the parrots, the monkeys, the villages were gone: everything was gone.

The imagery of finality is counterpointed by a human drama of “love eternal,” comprising both the fanciful flight of uncaring youth and the inevitable conclusion of death.

My Dear Reader,

If you are of the type who can beasily scandalized or ashamed , then please skip the read here and below. Gabo writes beautifully and in his writings base of human nature is seen.

The reproduction below is of a favourite author of mine, Gabriel Garcia Marquez.

Those who wish to obtain a beautiful ppt of his during his last years may please leave their e-id's with a brief on their profile here in the comments section.

Enjoy Gabo.

Best,

A.P.

Memories of My Melancholy Whores by Gabriel García Márquez

The year I turned 90, I wanted to give myself the gift of wild love with an adolescent virgin. I thought of Rosa Cabarcas, the brothel owner. "You ask the impossible, my mad scholar," she said. But I implored her and she promised to ring back within the hour.

I'm ugly, shy and anachronistic, and I live alone in the house where my parents lived, scraping by on a meagre pension from my mediocre career as a journalist. And I have never been to bed with a woman without paying. In short, I am without merit or brilliance.

On the morning of my 90th birthday, I awoke, as always, at five in the morning. My only obligation was to write my signed column for Sunday's paper, for which, as usual, I would not be paid. I had my usual aches and pains - my asshole burned - but my heart lifted when Rosa rang to say I was in luck. I gazed at the phosphorescent sweat on the naked body of the 14-year-old virgin asleep on the bed, and admired the brilliance of my language. "She was nervous," Rosa informed me, "so I gave her some Valerian."
She did not stir. "Let me call you Delgadina," I whispered, for like most solipsists

I preferred to invent my own names. I may have slept myself and a tiger may have written on the bathroom mirror - we magical realists can never be too sure of anything - and when I left her snoring in the morning she was still as pure as the night before.

"You fool," spat Rosa. "She will be insulted you did not care enough about her to abuse her." But I did not care: I had detected the fragrance of Delgadina's soul and had realised that Sex Was The Consolation We Receive For The Absence of Love.

I had planned to tender my resignation at the paper, but I was so moved at being given a voucher to adopt a stray cat that shat and pissed at will, that I resolved to continue.

And my fame grew. Every evening I would go to Rosa's house and spend the night admiring the sleeping Delgadina - whose body was filling out agreeably - while reading out loud the great works of literature; and by day people would read out loud the tacky sentimentality of my columns.
Late into the year, Rosa interrupted my reveries. "A client has been murdered," she shouted. "Help me move him."
I returned night after night, but Rosa's house was locked up. I pined for Delgadina. I sensed my cat might lead me to her, but like my own writing, he led me up a cul-de-sac.
At last, Rosa returned.

"Whore," I said. "You have sold Delgadina to secure your freedom."
"How wrong you are," she cried. "Others may consider you a sordid, delusional old man, but Delgadina loves you. She kept her distance because she wanted to save herself for you."

My heart soared. I was not a perv. I was a 91-year-old man with so much love to give and so much life to live. I will survive.